Giants Claim DT Zacch Pickens Off Waivers From Chiefs

Pickens, 26, was named the Gatorade Football Player of the Year as a high school senior in 2018 and committed to South Carolina as a five-star recruit. The Bears drafted him in the third round with the No. 64 overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft.

He was entering the third year of a four-year, $5,763,789 rookie contract that included a $1,191,846 signing bonus when the Bears waived him at the end of August. The Chiefs signed him to the practice squad and he made a couple of appearances on the active roster before signing a futures deal for 2026. 

Kansas City then waived him in May ahead of rookie minicamp.

In 2025, Pickens appeared in three games for the Chiefs and recorded five total tackles.